Kangra Shimla Una

Six arrested in Kangra dist
KANGRA, Oct 11 — Six persons, including a woman were arrested by the Kangra police for a breach of the peace and moving under suspicious circumstances in different parts of the district during the past 24 hours.

Dass appointed MD of HRTC
SHIMLA, Oct 11 — A bureaucratic reshuffle is expected in Himachal Pradesh in the next few days. Transfers of officers were pending due to the Lok Sabha elections.

2 killed as bus falls into river
UNA, Oct 11 — Two women were killed and 21 persons injured when a private bus going from Una to Gagret fell into the Swan river breaking the railing of a bridge, 6 km from Una at about 4.30 p.m. today.

HVC claims Defence portfolio
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 11 — The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) has staked its claim for a berth in the National Defence Alliance (NDA) ministry of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee at the Centre.

The HVC is an alliance partner of the ruling BJP in Himachal Pradesh.

The HVC, which won the Shimla (reserved) seat of the Lok Sabha with Lt Col (retd) Dhani Ram Shandil as its candidate, has also demanded that the party nominee should be given the portfolio of Defence.

The PWD Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh, who belongs to the HVC, told the TNS here today that being an ex-Army officer, Colonel Shandil would be most suited for taking care of the Defence portfolio.

The HVC chief, Mr Sukh Ram, is already in Delhi along with Colonel Shandil. It is learnt that he was already lobbying for a ministerial berth for the HVC which has two MPs — Colonel Shandil in the Lok Sabha and Mr Sukh Ram's son Anil Sharma in the Rajya Sabha.

In the past, it was said that Mr Sukh Ram had been making efforts to get his son inducted in the central ministry. However, this time Mr Mohinder Singh, who put in great effort for the HVC candidate in the Shimla seat, was keen that Colonel Shandil should be made a minister at the Centre as Mr Anil Sharma was yet to mature in politics.

HP to host SAF winter games
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Oct 11 — The sitting MLA from Nurpur and the Vice-Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation, Mr Rakesh Pathania, said that after his humiliating defeat, the HPCC chief, Sat Mahajan should resign his post and quit politics.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Pathania said that despite being party president Mr Mahajan did not lead even in his own constituency of Nurpur.

Mr Pathania said there was a strong undercurrent in favour of Mr Vajpayee for development and in favour of the Dhumal government.

Even the coming together of Mr Sat Mahajan and his bitter critic, Mr Kewal Singh Pathania, could not save the Congress citadel.

Mr Pathania said Himachal will host the one-month long winter South Asian Federation Games from February 3 next year. Some events will be held at Shimla and others at Manali. Six nations will take part in the winter games, jointly organised by the Indian Olympic Association and the Ministry for sports.

Mr Pathania said the government will spend Rs five crore during the current financial year for promoting Pong Dam as a tourist destination. A consultant from the World Tourist Organisation (WTO), Mr Karl Hens, will prepare comprehensive plan.

Apart from this, a high powered committee will meet at Shimla on October 16 to discuss tourism promotion.

Six arrested in Kangra dist
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Oct 11 — Six persons, including a woman were arrested by the Kangra police for a breach of the peace and moving under suspicious circumstances in different parts of the district during the past 24 hours.

District police chief K.C. Sadyal today said Ravi Teerth and Daljeet Kaur of Jalander were arrested by the police at Dheora and were being interrogated as both were moving under suspicious circumstances. Sarwan, a resident of Jalander was also arrested by the police at Jawalamukhi. He was also being interrogated, the SSP said. The arrests were made following a strict vigil by the police in view of Navratras.

Three persons, Chuni Lal, Bishan Singh and Balvir alias Beeru, were arrested from Dharamshala, Nurpur and Palampur, respectively under Sections 107, 151 of the IPC for disrupting peace in these towns, the SSP said.

Tibetans hold procession
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Oct 11 — Tibetans today held a procession to commemorate the October, 1950, military invasion of Tibet by China, which finally led to the occupation of Tibet in 1959.

Over 500 Tibetans, including a large number of monks, nuns and school children, took part in it. Later, a number of Tibetan and Indian leaders, including the Transport Minister, Mr Kishan Kapoor, addressed the gathering. The Tibetans carried placards and raised slogans against China.

The Tibetan Welfare Officer, Mr Dawa Tsering, informed that it was on October 7, 1950, that 40000 Chinese troops attacked Eastern Tibet's provincial capital, Chamdo, from eight directions. The small Tibetan force, consisting of 8000 troops and militia, was defeated. In the process, Chamdo was taken over and 4000 Tibetan fighters were killed.

He said so far 12 lakh Tibetans had died as a result of the Chinese invasion and occupation of Tibet. More than 6000 monasteries and centres of learning had been destroyed and Tibet had been transformed into a vast military base.

Dass appointed MD of HRTC
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 11 — A bureaucratic reshuffle is expected in Himachal Pradesh in the next few days. Transfers of officers were pending due to the Lok Sabha elections.

There were indications that a couple of transfers might be ordered in the secretariat and also in the districts.

Meanwhile, Mr B.S. Chauhan, Managing Director HRTC, has been appointed Commissioner-cum-Secretary of General Administration Department and Secretariat Administration.

Mr S.R. Dass has been appointed as the new Managing Director of the HRTC.

Mr P.C. Dhiman has been appointed Managing Director of the Civil Supplies Corporation.

Mr M.L. Sharma, Additional Secretary (Home), Mr K.R. Verma, Director (Ayurveda) and Mr Subhash Mehta, HAS Officers, have been promoted to the IAS cadre.

2 killed as bus falls into river
From Our Correspondent

UNA, Oct 11 — Two women were killed and 21 persons injured when a private bus going from Una to Gagret fell into the Swan river breaking the railing of a bridge, 6 km from Una at about 4.30 p.m. today.

Both the dead women could not be identified. A number of passengers suffered multiple fractures.

Police and civil officers from Una reached the accident site to supervise the rescue operation.

As the Swan is rain fed river, there was not much water in it. According to an eyewitness, the bus starch against the railings of the bridge and fell about 20 feet away from the bridge into the river.

The injured were brought to the district hospital, Una.